Rockstar Again - Chapter 49



Only Noblemtl

Episode 49. Rapunzel (3)

Repetition of daily routines.

It is a mistake to think that people in fields such as music, art, and sports have free-spirited lives. In each field, most of their daily lives begin and end with preparation for their own moment.

Me too.

“Brother… … You’re not really related to Miso, are you?”

The nostrils came to the house to play.

I don’t spend all my time in the practice room, and sometimes I work at home. At home, there are some soundproofing issues, so I tend to focus more on writing songs than on playing instruments or practicing vocals.

Although I still prefer to write songs by hand, ultimately songs are completed through performance, and this is an era where that is done with computers.

So sometimes I wonder if this is really me writing songs, but it definitely feels more comfortable.

I heard that Kim Mi-so and Nose know each other, so I can guess what they are thinking.

I answered Nosehole while scribbling lyrics with a ballpoint pen.

“Unless we’re not related?”

“Ah… … That won’t do… … .”

He seems to be frowning and looking for an answer. He is definitely immature.

I also tend to feel immature when I’m with my older brothers, but when I’m with him, I feel like an adult, so it’s not bad.

I pretended to have a serious expression and patted Park Min-jae on the back.

“Ma. A man is confident.”

“… … Brother, you say that because you are confident in your appearance.”

“Are you insecure?”

“Rather than saying it’s nothing, it’s just ordinary.”

“Really? Then there’s nothing we can do. Give up on him. He’s not your match.”

Then I started writing lyrics diligently.

If you don’t have someone you can share ideas with when working on a song, you’re better off alone.

But Park Min-jae is a bit helpful today.

That’s exactly right.

My first love, but my first love started to drift away after I became a celebrity.

It seems like it’s within reach, but it’s not.

My first love, which I want to let go of but cannot because it seems too far away.

As I was writing the lyrics while feeling Park Min-jae’s emotions, I heard Park Min-jae’s blunt voice next to me.

“Brother, you are really bad. I want to say something harsh, but I am holding back.”

“What the hell. Why me?”

“Shouldn’t you be encouraging me at times like this? You can do it, you’re a good guy too. Like that?”

“What difference does it make if I encourage you? You don’t think so yourself. You’re a funny guy.”

“… … .”

I have a feeling that the child is getting smaller.

He looks like an elementary school student because his height is about 150cm. Is this an illusion?

I was going to pretend I didn’t know, but I decided to add a word. But we’re close enough now.

“Women, you know. They like strong men. Being handsome is strong. Being strong is strong. Being rich is strong. It’s just how they’re programmed. They’re attracted to strong men.”

“It’s so cruel to tell me to give up.”

“No, you idiot. A truly strong man is a man with a future and a vision. And women know that. What a truly strong man is. That’s why smart women don’t love a man who is strong now, but a man who has a vision to become truly strong in the future. So you too, have confidence and a dream. Okay? That’s what I’m saying.”

I feel life returning to Park Min-jae’s eyes, which used to look like rotten pollack eyes.

Also, the respect for me is bubbling up.

It is now.

If you hit it with impact, it will stretch out―the timing is right.

He stretched out his hand and pointed somewhere on the wall.

“Hey. What do you see?”

“It’s a wall.”

“Again. See you again!”

“… … Hmm… … Look? Should I clean it?”

The kid went from being a potential criminal to a full-fledged housekeeper.

When I hit his back with a bang, his nostrils flare and his shoulders flutter.

“It hurts… … .”

“I see a gold button over there. What about you?”

“……yes?”

“YouTube. You said you’d give out a gold button if you reached a million subscribers? Right?”

“That’s true… but… there’s nothing.”

“Shut up. A man’s dream is not something you see with your eyes. It’s something you see with your heart. Look again. Do you see it or not?”

Then, Park Min-jae rolls his eyes around like he is looking at a magic eye and answers.

“I see… I see it. I see it!”

That guy is definitely weird.

What can you see on an empty wall?

However, he spoke to Nostril in a pretended solemn voice.

“Don’t end it with the gold button. You are the man I chose.”

“yes!”

“Pick up the gold button. Run to Miso. And tell her! I love you! Instead. Until then, run towards your dreams. Got it?”

Now, in Park Min-jae’s eyes looking at me, I see a sincerity similar to that of those who are deeply religious. Park Min-jae asked me with respect and reverence.

“You’re really cool, hyung. You must have been in a lot of relationships. Are you talking about your own experiences? As expected, the saying that a face is worth something doesn’t just come out of nowhere.”

“… … .”

“How many guys have you dated? More than ten? Because you’re handsome and strong?”

“I have to write a song, so it’s far away over there.”

“Please tell me. How many people have you dated? Are celebrities secrets? I’ll keep it a secret, so just tell me. Okay?”

What the… … You’re whining like a student asking the teacher to tell you about love, but do you think I’m not telling you because it’s a secret?

There has to be something to say.

Eunsol was there, but if someone asks if we were dating, I would say no… … .

He looked at me with eyes full of respect, but it was too late to say that it was something I had seen on YouTube… … .

“Get out of here.”

I pushed Park Min-jae, who was clinging to me, away with my foot and started writing the lyrics on the half-filled notebook.

Two songs were completed first, but I think this would be a good title. In the end, it will be producer Jo In-chang and IC Entertainment who will make the decision.

Park Min-jae, who was huddled in the corner, opened his mouth as if he had another question.

“Brother. But why have you been staying at home for the past few days?”

“Because a strange lady keeps following me.”

* * *

Four days later, at the IC Entertainment office.

“You little punk… … What the hell are you? You’re crazy. If you can’t get this to work, it’s definitely my fault.”

Jo In-chang laughed until his mouth was torn and hugged me.

“Ouch. Get off. Why are you being so awkward?”

“Bokdeungi. I came… … At first, I thought it was some kind of idol audition. I think he came out to meet you. I’m sure of it.”

“Okay, then get off. Just a little.”

As he pushed and sat down on the sofa, Jo In-chang started playing the files saved on his desk computer again.

As expected from a producer’s office, pretty good sound quality began to fill the office.

And then comes the questions from a former star producer who has lost his touch and is trying to regain his senses.

“This. It’s basically the thumping part. Why did you put it there?”

“Heartbeat. The world has become a better place. You can put in electronic beats instead of drums or bass.”

“Heartbeat sound?”

Music is a living thing that eats up time and grows quickly.

In fact, it would be quicker to find things that haven’t changed in 30 years.

“Yes. In the beginning, it starts with a beat that is slightly faster than your normal heartbeat. It’s not too much, but it’s enough to make your heart pound.”

It’s a kind of wobbly bridge effect.

Even if you don’t necessarily have a fear of heights, your heart tends to beat faster in scary or dangerous situations, and if a person of the opposite sex is next to you, your brain mistakes that for you to think you love that person.

When you love someone, your mind can’t tell the difference between your heart beating faster because you’re scared and your heart beating faster because the end result is the same.

It hits your ears with a thumping beat, as background music.

Then, the brain that hears it mistakes it for the sound of its own heartbeat.

However, if you start with a beat that is too fast, it will be too different from your heartbeat, so you won’t get confused. That’s why you need to start by maximizing the beat while maintaining the synchronization as much as possible.

It’s a shaky bridge effect, but is it some kind of suggestion?

The speakers in Jo In-chang’s office continued to play ‘Balloon’.

“Here, stop.”

“Huh? Huh. It stopped. Why?”

“Listeners won’t be able to tell exactly where it starts, but it’s here. The moment when the beat gets faster. The person who eats this part is the center.”

“Oh… … Is this the moment when you start to misunderstand?”

“That’s right. It’s a beat that makes you fall in love. It’s an illusion, but when you eventually fall in love, it’s no longer an illusion. To do that, the best person has to do it. That way, when the song ends, people won’t go back to reality and think, “Oh, I was mistaken.”

A beat that is similar to your own heartbeat, but subtly out of sync with the heightened beat and a tempo faster.

It’s a simple and trivial task, but if done well, the effect is certain.

“I get the feeling, what do you mean? The melody is good too. But the recording is a bit strange? Should I say it’s your voice, but it doesn’t feel like you did it?”

“These days, idols have to have a slur, right? That is, the pronunciation of a Korean-American. It’s not mumbling, but mumbling. I checked the lyrics, right? You just have to pronounce that part correctly. The rest is accurate pronunciation, but it has to sound muffled.”

“… … What is that? It’s too difficult?”

“What’s so difficult about it? Just sing it as if you were biting half a candy and singing it.”

Jo In-chang shakes his head as if he doesn’t understand, then laughs.

“You know, you definitely have a talent for making idol songs, right? Now I have no one else to trust but you’re the only one I’ve ever relied on, but honestly, you’re beyond my expectations. No, you’re beyond what I expected. Really. More than anything, you’re trendy. You’re used to the unfamiliar. That’s trendy.”

“So what?”

“Are you supposed to do a real rock band or something with those guys?”

“Oh, that noise again. I came here to avoid the truth, but it’s the truth here too. What? Should I take the song with me?”

“No, no. I just said that because I really felt sorry. You should do what you want to do… … If you’re an artist, you have to have that kind of gonzo. That’s why I like you.”

Jo In-chang waved both hands and smiled.

This guy doesn’t seem to be afraid of me anymore.

Should I be thankful that he even pretends to be scared?

No, well… … Honestly, I don’t think people older than me need to be afraid of me or have a hard time with me, so it doesn’t really matter.

I wonder if this guy will look at me with respect if I show off a bit with the dating theory I learned from YouTube, just like I did to Park Min-jae. I held back.

“But what do you mean by saying you came here to avoid the truth?”

“There is something like that. Oh, a strange lady has been following me around lately.”

“Strange lady?”

“yes.”

“who?”

“You don’t have to know. Why do you keep trying to find out?”

As he said that, he leaned back against the sofa.

Ah… … But I think it definitely needs to be done. Tae-joo hyung sold me out. Of course, he told me to decide… … Anyway, it hasn’t even been a few days, but that lady’s attacks are reaching a serious level.

You seem to be the head of a large corporation, but do you really have nothing to do?

Wheeeeeeeeing―

The cell phone, set to vibrate, rattled on the table in Jo In-chang’s office.

“You called.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Take it. I’m fine.”

“I’m not taking it because I’m not feeling well.”

Having a rich stalker is like being extremely sad.

If you block it, it will call you again from a new number. If you keep blocking it, it will call you again from a new number, so it is meaningless.

So, if you just set it to silent, you won’t be able to check the calls you need to receive in time, so silent mode is also not possible.

It’s not usually that I’m tired.

I picked up my phone, which rang a few times before disconnecting, and got up from my seat.

“I don’t think I can help you record it.”

“What? Why? You said you would do it?”

He looks up at me with his eyes wide open… … I can only sigh.

“I’m the producer. I can rearrange it as I like and change key points, so I do whatever I want. My head is too complicated to pay attention to recording.”

“Ah… … , but it would be better if you did it yourself… … .”

How can someone who is called a star producer lose his touch and become this good?

Life is always full of things to learn.

I took this as a lesson and vowed once again to sharpen my senses so that this situation would never happen again.

“I’ll go.”

“Let’s get up together. I’ll buy you food. Eat and go. No matter the price, tell me what you want to eat. I’ll buy it for you.”

“It’s okay. I have something to do.”

Jo In-chang asks in an awkward posture while trying to pack his coat.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s a performance.”

When my head is complicated, singing and playing the guitar are the best.

Grandpa Im Tae-hee keeps mumbling, but it’s better than dealing with Gu Se-ryeong.